Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Stella Young's Letters

Stella Young, Sydney Morning Herald - November 22, 2014

Stella Young, ABC Ramp Up - October 4, 2013

Links to Austrailan comedian and broadcaster Stella Young's "Letter to My Younger Self" have been popping up on all sorts of disability blogs and websites since last year. Now we have a similar letter by Young, this one to herself at the other end of the lifespan. Together, these letters paint a vivid picture of one disabled woman's wry, spirited observations about life with a disability. At the same time, they express truths and feelings that are immediately relatable for all people with disabilties ... especially those of us with signficant physical disabilities we've had from childhood. Together, these "letters" could also be a useful introduction to an entire way of viewing life with a disability. It is a combination of pride, (so much more than "self-esteem"), self-awareness, clear thinking, humor, and zest for life.

I want every high school age kid in a wheelchair, who uses crutches, or who is sure that their bodies are too weird and messed up to be loved, to read these letters before they graduate into adulthood.